Xterra Schiff Scout race

Payton MacDonald
Xterra Schiff Scout Race Report
August 30, 2009
.5 mile swim, 10.5 mile mountain bike, 3.1 mile run

Swim:16:12
T1: 3:06
Bike: 1:01:10
T2: 1:03
Run: 31:13
Total time: 1:52:45
Place: 81 out of 164

PRE RACE
I expected this race to be much more comfortable than the Trimax Xterra I did in June. Trimax was in a beautiful setting, but the mountain bike portion was very technical and frankly far above my present ability level. Keith recommended Scout Schiff and it was a good recommendation, especially for folks like me who aren't crazy about carrying their mountain bikes over miles and miles of craggy rocks.

The course is situated on a boy scout camp in Wading River, on Long Island. It's a good two hours to drive there from Jersey so we made arrangements at a hotel just down the road and traveled there on Saturday. The hotel was overpriced and a bit seedy, so next year we'll try for something else. Jessica has an old friend from Interlochen in Wading River and we spent Saturday afternoon with her, her husband, and two young children. Madeline had a blast running around with the other kids and it was a low-key way to spend the day. The weather forcast was for heavy rains, but fortunately that didn't happen.

The next morning I got there by 7:00, ate a few bites of a powerbar and some water, rode a bit of the bike course, visited the toilet several times and just got comfortable. I was relieved to see that the bike course was mostly flat and smooth with no rock gardens.

SWIM
The swim was set up as two .25 mile loops, with a short run on the beach separating them. I started off strong, though I was unable to find a clear line for most of the first lap. I'm now solidly in the middle of the pack in terms of speed so I'm constantly swimming under and over and next to the other racers. Seems like no matter where I start this is the case now. The only problem I had in the first lap is that I got a big foot to my face and my left eye piece on my goggles instantly filled with water. With all the thrashing around of hundreds of racers it wasn't really convenient to tread water and fix it, so I just kept going. I fixed it while running on the sand before the second lap. The second lap was nice and smooth. The run up to the transition spot is long, but I enjoyed seeing Jessica and Madeline. Jessica waved at me. Madeline had her thumb in her mouth and looked thoroughly perplexed. I can't imagine how bizarre triathlon must look to a one-year-old.

T1
I had decided before the race to not hurry through my transitions. Especially with the first one, I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed. I had also decided to wear elbow pads for the bike as my right elbow is still a little tender from the fall I took in June. (I should probably get that checked out . . .) But I got suited up and out of there in a little over three minutes.

BIKE
The bike course was really fun, especially as I was riding my new 29er Specialized Rockhopper expert with clipless pedals. That thing just rolls over everything. The course was fairly flat and smooth, and it was mostly a narrow trail that wound through the woods. In that sense it was technical. Some of the turns were sharp and if you weren't careful you could easily slam into a tree. But I was careful and I had no problems. The only frustrating thing is that the trail was so narrow it could be hard to pass. I lost many minutes putting along behind slow riders waiting for a safe place to pass where the trail widened out a bit. Overall, though, I passed about eight or nine people, but probably 15 or so passed me. Clearly I need to work on my speed on the mountain bike, but speed on a mountain bike is made of three things: 1.) cardiovascular and muscular strength, 2.) handling skills, 3.) being completely insane and unafraid of grisly crashes. There's still much I can do in terms of numbers one and two but with a family and a career as a musician (who depends on his hands and arms), number three is out of the question. So be it. The most important thing is that I had a great time and I am excited about riding that bike course again next year.

T2
No problems here, just in and out. Hopefully I can get this down to about 45 seconds next year.

RUN
The run was probably my best run of the season, even though my pace wasn't that fast. It was a challenging run, with some steep hills and even a stretch through knee-deep water, but I felt strong for most of it and I ran pretty fast. I also enjoyed it, which isn't always the case with the run. The only problem I had was around mile 2.5. I was cruising along, feeling strong and buoyed up by the run into the final stretch, when all of a sudden I seized up with a very painful cramp in my right side. I literally stopped in my tracks, breathless, and walked slowly for several minutes until I recovered. This was disappointing because I probably could have made my goal of about a nine-minute mile pace, but I lost several minutes with this. I deserved it, though. I clearly remember that right before I cramped a few people passed me. My emotional state had been very high for the entire race, with clear and noble thoughts. But as I got to the end of the run and got more tired I remember feeling less charitable towards the other racers (" . . .she's fast, but she isn't that attractive . . ."). Those are shameful thoughts, but if these race reports are to mean anything, I have to be honest. I have this vision in my mind that as those thoughts crowded into my head God looked down from Her throne on a fluffy white cloud and sent a lighting bolt of cramp straight to my right side. "That'll teach him," She must have said. But I recovered and finished strong. Jessica and Madeline were waiting for me and Madeline even gave me a big smile and shouted "Da Da!"

POST RACE
In closing, I felt that this was my best race of the season in terms of smoothness and my effort level. I cranked hard and even though I wasn't wearing my HR monitor I would guess that my heart rate was in Zone 5 for almost the entire race. I came out right in the middle, 81 out of 164. That is a HUGE improvement from the previous years before I received proper training and I would place almost dead last. But most importantly I had fun. I recommend this race to anyone who wants to try an Xterra but doesn't want to deal with a dangerous and technical mountain bike course